One thing that helped me was making exercise a fixed part of my routine, whether it was at the gym, a yoga session, or even just going for a walk. I made it a rule to leave my phone on silent and really be present during that time. That break let my mind relax and gave me some real breathing room from constant emails and decisions. I'd return feeling clearer and less weighed down, and it became something I actually looked forward to. Taking that time for myself each day helped me stay balanced both physically and mentally, while also making me more focused and motivated when returning to work.
I'm Steve Morris, Founder and CEO of NEWMEDIA.COM. Here's my advice for how to find balance as a founder, and one thing that changed the game for me both in terms of taking care of myself and growing the company. Structured Handoff: The Self-Care Habit I Recommend to Other Founders The thing that made most difference for me wasn't to turn off after hours, or to schedule fake "me time" during working hours. In fact I don't think I crossed the threshold from founder-exhaustion mode into founder-malaria-and-beefy-leadership-team mode until I started explicitly defining and obeying leadership horizons. What I mean by that is, during the first several years of NEWMEDIA.COM, like most founders, I was totally addicted to being indispensable to every important decision. I call this the founder default mode. It means your stress is at the ceiling, your working day is 14 hours minimum, and you're gliding so close to the burn-out zone that you have to keep all your attention focused ahead to avoid the abyss of detonation you're sailing over. Not very founder-sustainable. To get out of this I started defining "leadership horizons" for individuals, which include a date by which I commit to letting go of a certain kind or level of decision. For example, the leadership horizon I defined for our lead designer when we hired her was 90 days, broken down into three components: date when get becomes relatively autonomous in their own design decisions, date when decisions encountered in their routine work they have full authority to make, and date when they can start telling me what to do. Immediately, the rest of the team felt the difference. Within one quarter of introducing this concept, I was saving 8-10 hours a week worth of thinking I didn't have to do about stuff the lead designer could handle of her own initiative. Plus our output doubled, because more decisions go faster when there's trust both ways. But most importantly, at last I had a pace I could keep up with. Now, several years later, NEWMEDIA.COM has grown past 100 people working in multiple distinct lines of business. The founder-us-doing-everything mode is definitively in the past. So my advice to founders is to define leadership horizons for your team. Pick somebody, pick a function they're leading, pick a length of time required till the handoff is complete, and then get out of the way.
In the early days of launching Frontier Waste Solutions, the demands of growth were relentless. Between navigating complex municipal contracts, overseeing landfill acquisitions, and ensuring operational excellence, there was rarely a moment that didn't call for my direct attention. Like many entrepreneurs, I quickly realized that the line between work and personal life could easily blur when the business required constant oversight. Yet, as much as the work consumed me, I also understood that sustainability in leadership mirrors sustainability in business—you cannot build lasting success without balance. For me, the solution was intentional boundary setting. I carved out time to be present with my family and community, no matter how packed the schedule seemed. These moments offered clarity and reminded me that Frontier's mission was never just about managing waste—it was about building stronger, cleaner communities across Texas. That perspective gave purpose to the long nights and reinforced the "why" behind the company's vision. One practice I've carried with me—and recommend to other founders—is to treat self-care as a business priority. Schedule it with the same seriousness as a board meeting or contract negotiation. For me, that might mean taking a morning walk before reviewing operational reports or setting aside time to disconnect from emails in the evening. Those routines may seem small, but they fuel resilience. They sharpen decision-making and give leaders the stamina needed to navigate challenges such as staffing for rapid expansion or balancing sustainability goals with investor expectations. The truth is, entrepreneurship is not a sprint—it's a long-distance endeavor. Founders who invest in their own well-being create the space to lead with vision, clarity, and purpose. Just as our industry must balance economic growth with environmental stewardship, leaders must balance ambition with self-preservation. That is how businesses not only grow but endure.
I honestly struggled with work-life balance in the early days of building VoiceAIWrapper, and I'm still not perfect at it. There were definitely weeks where I was responding to client issues at 11 PM and jumping on calls with prospects over weekends because I felt like every opportunity was make-or-break. The voice AI space moves so fast that I convinced myself I had to be available 24/7 or we'd miss something critical. That mentality led to some pretty exhausting months where my personal relationships suffered and I was running on adrenaline more than actual energy. The one self-care practice that actually stuck for me was setting hard boundaries around deep work time, usually early mornings before anyone expects immediate responses. I started blocking 6 AM to 9 AM for focused product development and strategic thinking, with my phone in another room. This protected time became sacred because it was when I could actually build and plan rather than just react to the constant stream of client questions and integration issues. Even now, that morning routine keeps me grounded and ensures I'm working on the business rather than just in it. The reality is that startup life is inherently unbalanced, especially in the early stages when you're wearing every hat and learning as you go. What helped more than trying to achieve perfect balance was being honest with family and friends about the intensity of certain periods while also scheduling specific times to be fully present with them. Instead of half-heartedly attending dinner while checking Slack, I started putting my phone away completely during family meals and weekend activities. The concentrated focus during those personal moments made up for some of the longer work hours during the week.
I'm Andy Zenkevich, the founder and CEO of Epiic, a digital agency experimenting with Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). I'm also involved in startups SEO, WordPress, design, and content at scale. Here's my story about work-life balance for founders, and one practical thing I did that helped me stay sane while starting my companies. 1. Make sure your startup goal and your life goal are aligned Seeking work-life balance has never worked for me unless the work and my life goals are interconnected. Early on at Epiic, I endured a constant need to overwork. This is a startup myth, that the only way to make progress in a startup is to work all the time. Things started to improve when I stopped thinking of work and life as two separate things and started to integrate my life goals into business goals. For example, I organized our ops model so that I could take my boys to school every day and get some quality deep work when I was ready rather than at a fixed point in the schedule. I struggled at first, thinking it wasn't the way to go. But data proved me wrong. Instead of my performance swinging between peaks and valleys of guilt-induced overwork and subsequent burnout, it stayed consistently high. And our client retention numbers went up as I showed up more fully as both a father and a founder. If your startup mission and life values aren't aligned, work-life balance will always feel like a myth. 2. Founders need a plan for burnout, not just a schedule for rest The other thing that helped me get through the worst startup years was a written, proactive plan for dealing with burnout, which I created by extrapolating from my personal risk points. In my plan, the highest-priority antiburnout actions (e.g., delegating a certain type of work) were triggered not by my reaching a specific point in the schedule but by my reaching specific states of mind. Since I live with chronic irritability and creativity bottlenecks, I worked those into my "red flag list." Then, recognizing that I find it hard to make the jump from "Oh no, I have burnout symptoms" to "Act accordingly," I baked in instrumental consequences (e.g., get away from computer, physically leave room, take a nap). My executive team and I wrote similar plans. Then we compiled and memorized each other's plans so we would actively notice the similarities and chime in when a teammate's "red flag" list grew too big. This social component made us feel more comfortable taking our necessary breaks.
Honestly, some of our most game-changing ideas were born far from our desks—usually on a hike, sometimes after a few drinks at a team party. Early on, we made a habit of doing things together outside of work. It wasn't "team building" in the corporate sense; it was just chasing experiences that gave our brains room to breathe. That's when the real creative collisions happened. The self-care tip I swear by: protect non-work stimulation like it's part of your business model. Your brain can't innovate if it's only fed emails and Slack threads. Go get lost in a forest. Dance at a wedding. Argue about movies. Let your mind connect dots while you're not trying so hard. For us, that offbeat mix of freedom and friendship is where the best ideas were born.
In the early stages I set aside certain hours like I would for client work. I set aside one evening a week for road biking and Sundays for that hike or fishing. That consistency gave me enough balance to be able to handle around 10 startup clients during the busiest tax seasons. Maintaining that routine worked better than relying on long breaks because it helped me to maintain a steady rhythm and clear focus throughout the week. My best self-care habit has always been treating health like financials. I tracked weekly rides, hours of sleep and hydration with simple, realistic goals. If cycling was less than 10 miles or sleep averaged less than six hours, I scaled back late night work or moved nonessential meetings. Setting those limits provided accountability and helped me to have sustainable energy during the first few years of building the business.
As someone who has launched (and sold) multiple startups, while also juggling the day-to-day of modern life (family, kids, etc) the number one strategy I recommend to all startup founders is to set clear boundaries on when and how often you will be working outside of regular business hours. For example I landed on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday being nights that I work late. By setting this expectation with my family they all know that I'm going to be head down and focused on those nights after we have had dinner. This helps provide structure to our week as a family and then on top of that because I know they are the nights where I am putting in more hours I can also structure my exercise (running / going to the gym) around that. I.e. I know I won't be able to get up for an early morning run on Wednesday for example. If you contrasted this to a Founder without a set routine, who works late into the night randomly I believe this just leads to a family being frustrated that you are never around, and it makes it hard to schedule in exercise on a regular basis as you never know when you are going to be tired from the night before. If you use some or all of my quote it would be great to mention my current startup Playwise HQ, and link to it if possible (https://playwisehq.com) Thanks Paul
It sounds counterintuitive when you're just starting out, but my number one self-care tip is delegation. You don't need a six figure full time assistant. Bringing someone on fractionally to handle email, scheduling, and admin frees you up for the work that actually moves the needle like strategy and stakeholder conversations. Being a founder is hard. Burnout is real. Set boundaries, set working hours, and actually stick to them. And remember: rest isn't a luxury, it's part of the reward.
In the early stages of my startup, the biggest challenge was clarity, knowing what truly needed my energy and what could wait. Unlike investor-led organizations, where pressure often pushes founders into overdrive, I focused on setting boundaries and building routines that protected my wellbeing. Coaching conversations and meditation gave me perspective, while regular exercise became my reset button. I often recall the story of Arianna Huffington, who famously collapsed from burnout before realizing that success without wellbeing is unsustainable. That example stayed with me, it reminded me that ignoring self-care only delays progress. My one tip for founders: create a personal framework for balance early on. Treat reflection, physical wellbeing, and mental clarity as non-negotiables, not luxuries. Startups are marathons, not sprints. Protecting your energy is not a distraction from growth, it's the foundation that makes growth possible.
I managed without work-life balance during my first period by surviving on coffee and preparing breakfast at 4 pm while handling WhatsApp messages as if they were professional emails. The practice of dedicating one evening per week to no work activities became my lifesaver. The evening became a laptop-free and Slack-free zone. I spent my evenings either dining with friends or taking walks until I lost all memory of KPIs. Protect your sleep as if it were your most important investment because it remains your only source of investment. Founders achieve their most valuable insights when they get at least four hours of uninterrupted rest from email interruptions.
My name is Kailesh Solanki, and I am the CEO and Founder of Kissdental, a major group of dental clinics in the UK. As the founder of Kissdental, which started as one clinic but grew to multiple award-winning clinics, I have personally faced the issues of balance between work and personal life in the very initial years of the start-up. Initially, I tended to confuse the roles of the clinic with domestic life, and this was easily followed by burnout. It was also aided by establishing non-negotiable limits, such as no work calls after 7 PM and at least one tech-free family meal each day. This bare framework provided me with time to rest and yet remain goal-oriented. About self-care, one of the things I would advise other founders is to set up recovery time, which is to treat rest as a very important appointment. Even a brief 15-minute exercise or mindfulness can have a tremendous effect on decision-making and resilience.
Hi there, Stephen Greet here, CEO and Co-founder of BeamJobs. We've helped over 3 million job seekers stand out in today's increasingly competitive job market, and balancing work and personal life was one of the hardest challenges for me in the early days. No matter what I did, whether it be taking a shower or even sleeping, my business was in my mind 24/7 and I accepted it as my new reality. But, I quickly realized how unhealthy that was and started embracing my hobbies and time with friends and family more. It didn't eliminate the racing thoughts, but spending more time with those around me helped me make better decisions. It's also one of the best self-care advice I can give to new founders: Give your hobbies and family equal amount of time as your business. Sometimes, you can even make better decisions unconsciously. This is called the Deliberation-Without-Attention Effect or in simpler words an "Unintentional Stroke of Brilliance." Please let me know if you'd like any more information. I'm happy to help! Best regards, Stephen Greet CEO and Co-founder @BeamJobs __________________ BeamJobs: https://www.beamjobs.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-greet/
When you're building something, there's always more work to do. What helped me early on, especially working from home, was setting a hard stop with one simple routine. That might be a walk, or a quick workout. It wasn't about the activity, it was about having a non-negotiable signal that the workday was over. One self-care tip I'd give other founders is to build that kind of boundary into your day. Keep it small, repeatable, and consistent. There will always be more to do, but you don't need to do it all today.
Attorney & Founding Shareholder at Coker, Robb, and Cannon, Family Lawyers
Answered 7 months ago
From day one of opening my firm, I made the unconventional decision to implement early Fridays. At the time, it was just me, but these days, early Fridays allow everyone on our team to leave work several hours early to focus on personal priorities. This boundary-setting practice started because I was determined to maintain my mental health and have time for my passions outside of work. It's also become an important factor in maintaining the well-being of our employees, even when other law firms thought I was nuts because, traditionally, a legal career means constant work. Creating this dedicated time for everyone to recharge and pursue interests outside of work means we are more efficient with our time and productivity during work hours. For founders seeking balance, I strongly recommend establishing one non-negotiable practice that protects your personal time, as it signals to both yourself and your team that sustainable success requires intentional breaks.
When I started Binder Dermatology, my vision was clear. I wanted to offer personalized care that felt different from the larger, busier clinics I knew so well. With over 20 years of experience behind me, I understood the value of quality over quantity. In those early days, I carefully limited the number of daily appointments so I could spend meaningful time with each patient. This not only gave me the chance to really connect and build trust with each person but also helped me manage my workload. I always advise other founders to keep their work and personal lives separate. It's all too easy to let work consume all your hours, especially in the early days. But setting aside time for yourself whether it's for a workout, your hobbies, or just to unplug from emails, it's all really important. It has been important for my own health and has played a key part in the success of my practice.
I believe that starting a company is like having a really demanding pet that needs attention all the time. In the beginning; I worked way too much and forgot to take care of myself; I thought I had to work 24/7 to make my business successful. But I learned some important things:- 1- Work-Life Balance: I did create some boundaries for myself like, "No work emails after 8 PM," and "Sundays are family days." I felt guilty not working, but in reality, being overwhelmed and having to work longer hours only brought poor outcomes for my business. I personally find that a scheduled personal "meeting" during these times also proved to be effective. I started treating "go for a walk" reminders in my calendar the same as important business meetings. 2- My Best Self-Care Tip: Sleep is your superpower. When you lack sleep, everything becomes harder, being a positive person, decision making. I once thought sleeping was wasting time, but I soon realized it helped me. Also, I was able to refuse things "no" that to my time, I didn't consider spendable. This is not saying that just because I think somebody wants to meet that I say yes. 3- The Big Lesson: Self-care is not a vice, it is a smart business decision, and self-care will lead to feeling good and better decisions for your company. Having your company, your startup needs a clear mind and fresh, healthier, not tired and burned out. Always remember:- building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to pace yourself to last the whole race.
In the early days of my startup, work had this sneaky way of leaking into every crevice of my life. I'd tell myself I was "just checking email for five minutes," and suddenly it's 1 AM, I'm wired, and my personal life feels like an afterthought. The biggest shift for me wasn't about balance—it was about creating hard edges. I treated certain parts of my day as non-negotiable, almost like sacred appointments. Dinner with my partner wasn't something I "fit in"—it was on par with a board meeting. Same with workouts. Same with reading time. The edge was sharp: once I crossed it, work stopped. No bleed-over. The funny thing is, instead of slowing me down, it gave me more energy and clarity for the hours I was working. One self-care tip I'd recommend to other founders is to pick one ritual that anchors you outside of work, and protect it with the same ferocity you protect investor meetings. It doesn't matter if it's a morning run, gaming with friends, or making dinner. The ritual becomes a signal to your brain: life isn't just the company, and you're not just a founder. That perspective keeps you from burning out, and paradoxically, it makes you a better founder too.
In the early days of Achilles Roofing and Exterior, there was no clean line between work and personal life. When you're starting out, the business doesn't stop at 5 p.m. Every phone call, every estimate, and every emergency repair felt urgent because they were. I'd be on a roof in the Houston heat all day, then at night I'd still be working on bids, chasing invoices, or planning the next move. The truth is, balance wasn't something I had at the start—it was something I had to learn to build. What kept me from burning out was setting small, non-negotiable boundaries. For example, I decided early on that no matter how busy we were, I'd always sit down for dinner with my family. Even if I had to go back to the office or return calls afterward, that one hour grounded me. It reminded me why I was putting in the work in the first place. I also made it a point to schedule Sunday mornings for myself—sometimes it was church, sometimes it was just a quiet walk to clear my head. Those simple habits gave me the energy to keep pushing when the workload was overwhelming. The roofing business is physically demanding and mentally draining. Climbing roofs in the Texas sun, managing crews, and making sure clients feel taken care of requires a steady hand. If you're running a startup, my biggest self-care tip is to protect one piece of your routine that brings you back to center. Don't wait until burnout forces you to slow down. Choose something small—whether it's a workout, family time, or a quiet moment in the morning—and treat it as seriously as a business appointment. For me, learning how to carve out that space didn't just make me a better husband and father, it made me a sharper business owner. When your head is clear, you make better decisions, and in this line of work, clear decisions are everything.
I learned early that startup stress compounds fast. If you don't reset, the exhaustion stacks until decision-making, creativity, and even relationships start breaking down. To offset that, I practiced what I called "blank-slate days." Every 30 days, I'd step away from everything—no laptop, no calls, no messages. It was total separation, stepping away so completely that my brain had no choice but to slow down. Once I cut the constant stress, my sleep deepened and mornings felt lighter. That calm carried over into the day, and I wasn't on edge all the time. Physically, even one day of full rest lowered the headaches and fatigue that came from weeks of nonstop screen time. Those resets became a pressure release valve that kept me from burning out before the company had even found its footing. For the business, those days paid off in clarity. After each break, the problems that once felt stuck started to look more manageable. With that distance, I could make decisions faster, avoid overreactions, and spot growth paths I had overlooked before. Over time, my team noticed the difference as well. It showed them that rest wasn't something to skip. We began to view this recovery as a tool for performance and worked it into the culture. So I would recommend taking consistent SHORT BREAKS, as they tend to be far more effective. The idea of a single, perfect vacation never lived up to it. What mattered most was the rhythm, not the length of time away.